Sediment testing device



Dec. 8, 1964 e. w. MOSHER sanmam TESTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19. 1961 Fig.1.

:Illlil INVEN TOR. derald Wjfosh Q1",

V 'fimam,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent ,l6tl,tlllii SdDili/IENT TESTENG DEVECE Gerald W. Masher, Markham Drive, Gowanda, NY. Filed Oct. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 46,139 #Claims. (ill. 73-61) This invention relates to a sediment testing device, and more specifically to a new and useful device for testing the amount of sediment in fluids, particularly liquids. This application is a continuation-in-part of my abandoned application Serial Number 823,999, filed June 30, 1959, for Sediment Testing Device.

In my aforesaid pending application there is disclosed a sediment testing device representing'a significant contribution to the art, because of the ease and thorough ness with which it can be cleaned, disinfected and sterilized, and because of its ease of operation. In addition, my said earlier application discloses a filter pad supporting member of unique design, for use where the sediment has been mixed into the fluid.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved sediment testing device retaining the advantages of my earlier invention while adding thereto a filter pad retaining member readily separable from the remainder of the filter unit, as well as from the barrel of the device, thereby facilitating thorough cleaning of the filter unit as well as placement and removal of the filter pad.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simpler, less expensive and more easily cleaned filter pad supporting member for use where the sediment is mixed or suspended in the fluid.

In one aspect thereof, a sediment testing device constructed in accordance with this invention is charac terized by the provision of a barrel having a piston slidable therein, and a removable filter unit carried at one end of the barrel, the filter unit comprising a body part extending into the barrel in closely fitting relation thereto, a filter pad supporting member carried by the body part, and a filter pad retaining member engaging the body part in superposed relation to the filter pad supporting memher, the retaining member being slidable into and out of the barrel in closely fitting relation thereto, whereby cleaning of the barrel is facilitated, and being separate and readily separable from the body part, thereby facilitating placement of a filter-pad on the supporting member and removal of a filter pad therefrom; V

In another aspect thereof, a sediment testing device constructed in accordance with my invention is chara terized by the provision of a barrel having a piston slidable therein, and a removable filter unit at one end of the barrel, the filter unit having a filter pad supporting member comprising a disk having only a central opening for the passage of fluid therethrough, the central opening being completely open. i g

The foregoing and additional objects, advantages and characterizing features of a sedimentttesting device constructed in accordance with my invention will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, to ether with the accompanying drawing illustrating the same wherein like reference numerals denote ldte parts throughout the various views and wherein: 1

FIG. 1 is a view, partly in longitudinal section and attests partly in elevation, showing a sediment testing device of my invention, assembled and ready for operation;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the filter unit and its attaching cap; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a filter pad supporting memher for use where the sediment has settled.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a sediment testing device of my. invention come prising an elongated, generally cylindrical barrel It terminating at its lower end in a laterally, externally enlarged head 2. A piston 3 is slidablewithin the barrel, having a peripheral groove 4 containing an 0 ring 5 for sealing engagement with the inner Wall of the barrel 1. A piston rod 6 is connected to piston 3 and extends therefrom through the upper end of barrel 1 which is closed by an end closure member 7, through which the piston rod extends. The piston rod terminates externally of barrel 1 in a handle 8 having opposed hand-gripping parts 9, whereby piston 3 can be pulled along barrel 1 toward closure 7, to draw a charge of fluid to be tested through the other, lower end of the barrel. An atmospheric opening in is provided through the wall of the barrel 1, to enable such movement of piston 3. A stop, in the form of pin 11, is carried by rod 6 and engages the end closure 7 to limit such intake movement of piston 4, so that only a predetermined charge of fluid is drawn into the barrel 1.

A filter unit is detachably carried by barrel 1 at its other, lower end. Such unit comprises a tubular body part 12 having a laterally enlarged, annular base 13 adapted to overlie the Wall of barrel 1 at its lower end. .Body part 12 extends into the barrel, in close fitting relation to the inner Wall thereof, and is provided at its inner end with an annular shoulder 14 surrounded by an upstanding wall or shoulder 15 extending therebeyond. A filter pad supporting member 16.is carried by body part 12, on shoulder 14, and in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the filter pad supporting member 16 is of unique design, comprising a disk having only a completely open and unobstructed central opening 17 therethrough. Member 16 is adapted to support a conventional filter pad 18 offibrous, wafer-like construction. 7

A filter pad retaining member 20 is provided, in the form of an annular body of the same internal diameter as the upstanding shoulder 15 on body part 12. Member 20 is adapted to rest'on the body part shoulder 15, and is held by body part 12 against an internal shoulder 21 in the bore of barrel 3. i

Barrel 1 has a bore of constant diameter from shoulder I 21 to the upper reach of piston 3, and therebeyond to'the upper end of the barrel. The barrel bore is of larger,

constant diameter at its lower end, to provide shoulder 21 The body of retainer 26 carries a cross bar thereacross and across filter pad 18 and its supporting member 16.

The upstanding shoulder 15, which supports member 29 and spaces cross bar 22 fromthe horizontal shoulder 14, is of a height substantially no more than that required to surround pad 18 and prevent it from shifting laterally,

- ment therewith. Also, an 0 ring 24 also is carried by the Patented Dec. .3, 1964 base 1'3of part 12, for bearing against the inner wall of an end cap 25 in sealing engagement therewith. Thus, the filter unit body has a snug fitin the end cap 24 which is provided with bayonet type slots 26 for selective engagement with laterally projecting pins 27 carried by head 2 at thelower end of barrel 1.

The parts areassembledas indicated in FIG. 1, with the base 13 of tubular part 12 fitting snugly within cap 25 against the internal, lateral shoulder. 26 thereof. The body part 12 extends into the lower end of the barrel, and holds the filter pad retaining member 29 against the internal shoulder 21. The filter pad 18 is held down on its supporting member 16 by bar 22.

In operation, piston 3 is drawn upwardly in barrel 1 by pulling upon handle 8. A charge of fluid is thereby drawn in through the bore of filter unit part 12 and through the central opening 17 of filter pad supporting member 16, past filter pad 18 which folds about retaining cross bar 22 to a generally V shape. The charge of fluid drawn into barrel 1 in this manner is predetermined in amount by abutment of stop 11 against end closure 7. Piston 3 then is forced the other way, toward the position illustrated in the drawing. This discharges the fluid from barrel 1 through the filter unit, and the pressure of the fluid discharge forces filter pad 18 flat against its supporting disk 16, so that the fluid is discharged only through thefilter pad. Any sedimentcontained in the fluid is deposited on the pad. When the fluid has been completely discharged from the barrel, the filter unit is removed by rotating end cap 25 to disengage pins 27 from slots 26, whereupon end cap 25 and the filter unit can be removed from the end of the barrel. The upstanding shoulder surrounding filter pad 18 prevents any milk remaining on the filter pad from running off and washing away the deposited sediment. Filter pad 18 is then removed from the unit and the pad is subsequently analyzed to measure the deposited sediment, as by weighing the pad and comparing it to its Weight prior to the test.

For maximum discharge of fluid from the barrel, the lower end ofpiston 3 is beveled, as shown at 28, and the upper surface of the body of retaining member also is beveled, as indicated at 22, to receive the same. As a result, the clearance. between thelower end of piston 3 and retaining cross bar 22 will, in practice, he as little as of an inch, although a' greater clearance is shown in the drawing for ease and clarity of illustration.

It is seen that, with the foregoing construction, removal of the filter pad 18 from its supporting member 16, and placement of a fresh filter pad thereon is greatly facilitated because the retaining member 20 is easily separated from the filter unit part 12. Indeed, retaining member 20 Will remain in barrel 1 when part 12 is removed therefrom, and must be separately removed. Yet' when the filter unit is assembled as shown in FIG. 1 the filter pad is securely retained in place on its supporting member. Fluid is discharged only through the body of reraining member 20, not around it, and the beveled upper edge 29 of the body assists in channeling all of the fluid being discharged through the body. The upper surface of the. retaining member body is substantially no wider than shoulder 21.

p In addition to the facility with which the filter pad is placed and removed, because of the separability of member 20, this invention also facilitates cleaning. The ease of cleaning provided by my earlier device is retained, because the' barrelis substantially uninterrupted from one end to the other when the filter unit is removed, and contains no obstruction precluding adequate brushing. Further, because retaining member 26 with its bar 22 now can be separatedfrom the rest of the filter unit, as well as from the barrel, it is much easier to clean the retaining and filter pad supporting members and associated parts.

The provision of aseparablefilter pad supporting member oifers the advantage that the disk is readily removed to facilitate cleaning. Also, the supporting member 16,

with its opening 17 free and clear of obstruction, further facilitates maintenance of utmost cleanliness by the absence of corners and crevices in which accumulations can collect. In addition, the absence of restriction in opening 17 makes the passage of fluid through the opening easier, and facilitates visual grading because any crossbar or other restriction in the opening shows on the filter pad and makes visual grading more difficult. It is significant that this construction provides the necessary support to pad 18, because heretofore it has been assumed that some sort of cross-grid support has been necessary. I have discovered that, on the contrary, a disk having a central opening large enough to permit the passage of the necessary amount of fluid, namely, having a diameter of 0.40", and having no cross-grid or supporting members whatever, will provide the necessary support when used in con junction with a retaining crossbar. (22) superposed over the filter pad very closely adjacent thereto. In the preferred form, retaining bar 22 rests on the filter pad, and the height of shoulder 15 is no greater than the thickness of filter ,pad 18.

FIG. 3 shows a ditferent filter pad supporting member 39, adapted for use where the sediment has settled and is not suspended. .Member 30 comprises a plate which is perforated, to provide the necessary passage therethrough, and retains the advantage of being readily separable from the tubular part 12 for cleaning purposes. The diameter of the perforated area of member 30 is 1%".

Accordingly, it is seen that the sediment testing device of this invention retains all of the advantages of my earlier invention, as set forth in my pending application referred to above. At the same time, the improvements provided by this invention add significantly to maintenance of the utmost cleanliness, and to ease of operation, and thereby represent an important step forward.

While I have illustrated and described in detail only one, presently preferred embodiment, with two filter pad supporting members, that is done by way of illustration only and without thought of limitation. Others skilled in the art might well modify or vary the same Without dcparting from the spirit of my invention, and I intend to include all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully disclosed and completely described my 1 stantially constant diameter from said filter unit'to said piston at all operative positions of the latter and being of larger diameter adjacent said opposite end of said barrel to provide a shoulder at the inner end of said filter unit, said filter unit comprising a tubular body part extending into said opposite end of said barrel in closely fitting relation thereto, a filter pad supporting member carried by said body part, said body part surrounding said supporting member and extending therebeyond a distance sutficient to hold a supported filter pad against lateral shifting thereon, and a filter pad retaining member slidable into and out of said barrel in closely fitting relation thereto through said opposite end of said barrel, said retaining member being separate and readily separable from said body part and comprising an annular body held against said barrel shoulder by said body part, and a cross piece carriedby said annular body. I

2. A sediment testing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said filter pad supporting member is separate and readily separable from said body "part, thereby facilitating cleaning and replacement of said supporting part.

3. A sediment testing device as set forth in claim 1,

4. A sediment testing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said filter pad retaining member comprises an annular body carrying sealing means in sliding engagement with said barrel.

5. A sediment testing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said body part has an upstanding shoulder surrounding said filter pad supporting member and extending therebeyond substantially only a distance sufiicient to restrain a supported filter pad against lateral shifting thereon, one side of said retaining member body engaging said shoulder, said cross bar being carried by said retaining member body closely adjacent said one side thereof, said piston having a beveled end and the other side of said retaining member body being internally beveled to receive said piston end, whereby said piston can be positioned closely adjacent said cross bar and a filter pad retained thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lang Apr. 11, 1939 

1. A SEDIMENT TESTING DEVICE COMPRISING, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BARREL, A PISTON SLIDABLE IN SAID BARREL, A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND EXTENDING THROUGH ONE END OF SAID BARREL, A FILTER UNIT CARRIED BY SAID BARREL AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, THE BORE OF SAID BARREL BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT DIAMETER FROM SAID FILTER UNIT TO SAID PISTON AT ALL OPERATIVE POSITIONS OF THE LATTER AND BEING OF LARGER DIAMETER ADJACENT SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID BARREL TO PROVIDE A SHOULDER AT THE INNER END OF SAID FILTER UNIT, SAID FILTER UNIT COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY PART EXTENDING INTO SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID BARREL IN CLOSELY FITTING RELATION THERETO, A FILTER PAD SUPPORTING MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID BODY PART, SAID BODY SURROUNDING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND EXTENDING THEREBEYOND A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO HOLD A SUPPORTED FILTER PAD AGAINST LATERAL SHIFTING THEREON, AND A FILTER PAD RETAINING MEMBER SLIDABLE INTO AND OUT OF SAID BARREL IN CLOSELY FITTING RELATION THERETO THROUGH SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID BARREL, SAID RETAINING MEMBER BEING SEPARATE AND READILY SEPARABLE FROM SAID BODY PART AND COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BODY HELD AGAINST SAID BARREL SHOULDER BY SAID BODY PART, AND A CROSS PIECE CARRIED BY SAID ANNULAR BODY. 